Ash Brown

My Week in Manga: September 9-September 15, 2013

September 16, 2013 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

I posted two reviews here at Experiments in Manga last week. The first was for Yusuke Kishi’s novel of horror and survival The Crimson Labyrinth. Currently The Crimson Labyrinth is the only work by Kishi available in English, but Vertical will begin releasing the manga adaptation of his novel From the New World later this year. (The same From the New World recently had an anime adaptation, too.) I also posted my latest Blade of the Immortal review–Blade of the Immortal, Volume 25: Snowfall at Dawn. The last few volumes of Blade of the Immortal have been building up to the showdown between Shira and Manji; finally the time has arrived when they face each other.

There were a couple of interesting things that I came across online last week. First, there was an interview with Annaliese Christman, a freelance letterer for Viz Media. I didn’t know much about lettering, so I found it to be a very interesting read. The other item I wanted to mention was Dan Kanemitsu’s examination of the impact the upcoming Tokyo Olympics may have on censorship in Japan–Fear and Loathing in the Bold New Olympic Era. (Too long, didn’t read? CBLDF has a nice overview of the article with some additional commentary–Tokyo Olympics Emboldens Censors.)

Quick Takes

Fairy Tail, Volume 29 by Hiro Mashima. This is only the second volume of Fairy Tail that I’ve had the opportunity to read in its entirety. At this point my general impression is that it’s a fun, but rather generic series. I just can’t seem to shake the feeling that I’ve seen it all before. I do like the variety of magic styles, though. Most of the twenty-ninth volume focuses on the battle between five young members of the Fairy Tail guild and Hades, the guild’s former grandmaster. Although not entirely unexpected, there were some great moments during fight that really show off the group’s teamwork. Fairy Tail moves along quickly with plenty of battles and action sequences. For the most part, Mashima’s art works nicely. However, all of the cuts and scratches that the characters end up with over the course of their fights make them look like they all have scales, which is a little odd. Although for some characters, like Natsu with his dragon abilities, it’s rather appropriate.

Nana, Volumes 16-18 by Ai Yazawa. The more of Yazawa’s manga that I read, the more I am impressed by it. Nana is a fantastic series. The characters are complex and multilayered; the story is dramatic and absorbing without being overwrought. These particular volumes deal just a little less with the music industry and the bands as a whole. Instead, they delve more into the characters’ personal lives. Particularly important is the revelation of Nana and Shin’s pasts as well as their less than ideal family circumstances–something that proves to be very problematic. Also included in these volumes are two lengthy side stories. One shows Nobu and Nana’s relationship back when they were in school together. Similarly, Takumi’s complicated feelings for Reira is the focus of the other. The side stories are a really nice addition to Nana, giving the story even more depth. They show the importance of the characters’ relationships and how they developed over time to become what they are in the series proper. I’m really looking forward to reading the rest of Nana.

Saiyuki Reload, Volumes 7-9 by Kazuya Minekura. While the early part of the series seemed directionless, by the end of Saiyuki Reload Minekura has a great narrative drive going. Some of the plot elements and storylines do unfortunately seem to have been dropped or forgotten (though perhaps she pulls them all back in for the finale) but the manga does benefit from having a stronger focus. What is particularly interesting about these volumes is that the yokai’s side of the conflict is shown in more detail. Although there have been exceptions, for the most part the yokai have simply been the series’ monsters. Minekura makes it very clear here that the yokai are really not all that different from humans and that it is the humans who are sometimes the real monsters. Looking back, this has actually been one of the recurring themes in the series. Although Saiyuki Reload is ten volumes long, only nine volumes were ever released in English. It’s particularly tragic since the ninth volume ends on one heck of a cliffhanger.

Smut Peddler by Various. Smut Peddler had its beginnings as a three-issue indie minicomic series back in 2003. In 2012, Smut Peddler returned as a full-length anthology collecting twenty-six short erotic comics. Smut Peddler is a phenomenal collection of sex-positive, lady- and queer-friendly comics. I was particularly happy to see the diversity included in the anthology, not only in terms of the characters’ various identities but in genre as well. Smut Peddler contains science fiction and fantasy as well as reality-based works, both historical and contemporary. The stories are short, sexy, and sweet. Some are more serious and others are more humorous, but they are all heartfelt. I was previously familiar with and already follow the work of many of the creators included in the anthology, but there were plenty of artists and writers who I was encountering for the first time. (I now have even more creators I want to seek out.) Work has already begun on a second Smut Peddler anthology, currently scheduled for release in 2014. I can’t wait.

Velveteen & Mandala by Jiro Matsumoto. Reading Velveteen & Mandala was a rather odd experience for me. I was consistently engaged while I was reading it, but I wasn’t sure that I actually liked it. But after finishing Velveteen & Mandala I couldn’t seem to get it out of my head which to me is a sign of a good manga. The more I think about it, the more I want to read it again–it’s like a lingering and intense fever-dream (or nightmare.) Velveteen & Mandala is a very strange horror manga with strong psychological elements, extremely black humor, frequent pop culture references, and characters who all seem to be at least slightly insane. The ending’s big twist was something that I suspected from the very beginning of Velveteen & Mandala but that doesn’t make it any less effective. Velveteen & Mandala easily earns it’s 18+ rating–it’s gruesome, violent, and sexually explicit. The manga’s off-beat, weird, and bizarre horror and humor definitely aren’t for everyone, but if you can stomach it Velveteen & Mandala is a strangely intriguing work.

Pick of the Week: Satoshi Kon & More!

September 16, 2013 by Ash Brown, MJ, Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith and Anna N 1 Comment

ASH: Although this week is relatively light when it comes to manga releases (at least when compared to the last few weeks), there are still plenty of great manga to choose from. I’m especially interested in Satoshi Kon’s Tropic of the Sea. Kon is probably best known in the West as an anime director—and a fine one at that–but he started his career in manga. With beautiful artwork and a focus on legends and water, there’s no way I’m passing up Tropic of the Sea.

MJ: I’m quite torn this week, despite the limited selection, as it’s difficult to ignore a new volume of Ooku. But it’s even more difficult to ignore something as new (to us, anyway) and intriguing as Tropic of the Sea. So I’ll stand with Ash on this one. The cover art alone has me sold.

SEAN: Given we have Tropic of the Sea out of the way, I’m going to take a chance on Sherlock Bones, the new shounen title from Kodansha. As readers who have read my Young Miss Holmes reviews know, I’m a sucker for all things Holmes and Watson, so the premise at least intrigues me. We’ll see how much it abuses canon. The writer is also one of the pseudonyms of the people who did Kindaichi Case Files, a low-selling but highly regarded mystery series from back in the day.

MICHELLE: I admit Tropic of the Sea is very intriguing, and that I’m curious about Sherlock Bones but I simply must throw Fumi Yoshinaga some love and officially pick Ooku. True, it’s not my favorite of her manga, but it’s still quite fascinating.

ANNA: I am also torn between Tropic of the Sea and Ooku! I think I’ll have to go with Tropic of the Sea though, since I’m finding that the most interesting debut of the week.

What looks good to you this week?

Blade of the Immortal, Volume 25: Snowfall at Dawn

September 13, 2013 by Ash Brown

Creator: Hiroaki Samura
U.S. publisher: Dark Horse
ISBN: 9781595828835
Released: August 2012
Original release: 2009
Awards: Eisner Award, Japan Media Arts Award

Snowfall at Dawn is the twenty-fifth volume in the English-language release of Hiroaki Samura’s award-winning manga series Blade of the Immortal. Published by Dark Horse in 2012, Snowfall at Dawn collects the same chapters as the twenty-fourth volume of the original Japanese edition of Blade of the Immortal released in 2009. Blade of the Immortal first began serialization in 1993 and has covered a lot of ground since then. Starting as a story of revenge with a touch of the supernatural, the series mixes historical reality with the fantastic and later on even a healthy dose of horror. Snowfall at Dawn is part of the fifth and final major story arc of the series. With morally complex characters, dynamic artwork, and an engaging story, Blade of the Immortal continues to be one of my favorite manga series.

After their daring assault on Edō Castle, Baro Sukezane provides the diversion needed to allow his comrades Magatsu Taito and Anotsu Kagehisa, the leader of the Ittō-ryū sword school, to escape. They aim to rejoin the rest of the Ittō-ryū as quickly as possible while avoiding their pursuers. Among those trying to locate Anotsu are Asano Rin and Manji, her bodyguard and companion. Little do the pair know, but they are also being pursued. Shira, a sadistic murderer who holds a particularly intense grudge against Manji, is steadily getting closer to exacting his revenge. Accompanying Shira is Kawakami Renzō, a broken young man with his own reason for hating Manji. It’s only a matter of time before the four of them meet once again. The encounter is one that Shira has been preparing for and fantasizing about, taking great pleasure in anticipating and contemplating the pain and torment his plans will bring Manji and Rin.

The last few volumes have been building up to the confrontation between Shira and Manji. Unsurprisingly, their battle is the focus of Snowfall at Dawn. What did surprise me, however, is how comparatively tame it is physically when considering the perverse and barbaric nature of Shira’s past exploits and misdeeds. The potential for extreme physical violence between Shira and Manji is great. Shira is an unapologetic and twisted sadist while Manji is a man who is extraordinarily difficult to kill, making him an ideal victim and target. But Shira isn’t only interested in Manji’s physical suffering, he also takes great joy in causing mental anguish. Although there is still plenty of bodily harm and pain inflicted during the battle in Snowfall at Dawn, the psychological impact and agony caused by Shira’s attack on Rin and Manji is just as crucial to the fight. Out of all of the characters in Blade of the Immortal, Shira is easily the most unquestionably villanous and terrifying.

In addition to the showdown between Shira and Manji, Snowfall at Dawn also reveals Shira’s whereabouts during the long prison story arc as well as his involvement in the immortality experiments. Shira may be an utter bastard, but he’s had some unspeakable things done to him as well. As part of this, there is also a lengthy discourse in Snowfall at Dawn about the nature and limitations of Manji’s bizarre regenerative abilities. While vaguely interesting, it is largely unnecessary. Anyone who has been reading Blade of the Immortal should be well aware by this point that Manji’s immortality is imperfect; ample evidence can be found throughout the series. However, Samura hasn’t previously gone into such specific detail about it as he does in Snowfall at Dawn. Unfortunately, he has to interrupt the flow of the story in order to do so. Still, Samura soon returns to what really matters in Snowfall at Dawn–Manji and Shira’s battle, which will reach its conclusion in the next volume, Blizzard.

Manga the Week of 9/18

September 12, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, Michelle Smith, Ash Brown and MJ 3 Comments

SEAN: Three weeks this September have a huge pile of manga, one is merely a small pile. This is that week. (Though some may get Yen titles one week early via Diamond.)

Genshiken has continued to prove that if you have a good enough ensemble cast, it doesn’t matter who the ‘lead character’ or stars are. It rotates students in, it rotates students out. Well, OK, Madarame and his not-quite-harem continue to be the focus of the 2nd Season. Vol. 3 is out this week.

MICHELLE: I must admit that I have never read any Genshiken.

ASH: I haven’t read any of the second season yet, but I did rather enjoy the Genshiken omnibuses. Guess I’ll need to catch up!

MJ: I’ve always been interested in this title, but missed picking up the first season, so I’ve never managed to get into it. I would like to rectify that at some point!

SEAN: The other Kodansha title, Sherlock Bones, you may at first glance think is meant for younger readers, especially once you see the premise “Sherlock Holmes reincarnated as a dog”. That said, I think there may be something I can do to tempt old-school mystery and manga fans to get this volume: “From the creator of Kindaichi Case Files.”

MICHELLE: … and also !!! That certainly tempts me!

MJ: What she said!

SEAN: Everyone knows that old-school manga titles are not really looked at by companies anymore. UNLESS… they’re by the late director Satoshi Kon, aka Perfect Blue, Tokyo Godfathers, etc. Tropic of the Sea was a single-volume manga he did for Kodansha’s Young Magazine in 1990, and it’s at the start of his career, before he became famous for other things. It promises to be riveting, from what I hear.

ASH: I’m really looking forward to Tropic of the Sea. That cover is simply gorgeous and the interior art I’ve seen is also striking.

MJ: I’m very interested in this as well.

SEAN: Bokurano: Ours must still have cast members to kill off in a tragic yet heartwarming and life-affirming way, as the series is still going. Here’s Vol. 9 from Viz, whose continued support of the SigIKKI line I will always appreciate.

MICHELLE: I’ve fallen somewhat behind on Bokurano: Ours, but I do like it.

SEAN: Lastly, Ooku: The Inner Chambers has a new volume. We’re caught up with Japan, and the series doesn’t come out all that rapidly anymore. But this just makes this alternate world tale of court intrigue a rare treat.

MICHELLE: Yay, more Ooku!

ASH: Indeed! Hooray for more Ooku!

MJ: Insert additional cheers here!

SEAN: What manga dost thou wish to acquire on the morrow?

The Crimson Labyrinth

September 11, 2013 by Ash Brown

Author: Yusuke Kishi
Translator: Masami Isetani and Camellia Nieh
U.S. publisher: Vertical
ISBN: 9781932234114
Released: October 2006
Original release: 1999

The Crimson Labyrinth, written by Yusuke Kishi, was first published in Japan in 1999. Prior to the novel’s release, Kishi had won two Japan Horror Association Awards. He continues to be a bestseller and award winner in Japan both for his horror and for his speculative fiction. The Crimson Labyrinth was released in English in 2006 by Vertical with a translation by Masami Isetani and Camellia Nieh. The novel was Kishi’s English debut and so far remains the only work of his that has been translated, although Vertical is scheduled to release Tōru Oikawa’s manga adaptation of Kishi’s novel From the New World in 2013. The Crimson Labyrinth was my introduction to Kishi and his work. I was particularly interested in reading The Crimson Labyrinth after seeing it compared to Koushun Takami’s Battle Royale, a personal favorite of mine. Also, I tend to enjoy just about everything that Vertical publishes.

Forty years old and unemployed, Yoshihiko Fujiki never expected that answering a job advertisement would end up with him being drugged and abandoned in the wild. He wakes up alone with only a small amount of food and water and a Pocket Game Kids handheld game console to keep him company. Soon he encounters Ai Otomo who is also wandering alone and who has been given similar provisions. Following the instructions provided by the game console, together they navigate the labyrinthine corridors and valleys of the bizarre landscape in which they find themselves. When they reach the first checkpoint indicated by the console they discover another group of people waiting there. All together there are nine Japanese men and women and no one seems to be certain of what is going on, where they are, who has stranded them or for what purpose. What they do know is that have become unwilling participants in a perverse game of survival. If they want to stay alive they may very well have to turn on each other.

The Crimson Labyrinth is heavily influenced by extreme reality television as well as classic, text-based role-playing games. And just like those RPGs, the decisions made by the characters early on in The Crimson Labyrinth are the most crucial and will determine how the rest of the game will play out. At first the group of nine works together, but their cooperation quickly disintegrates. The group fragments into four smaller teams, each following a different path outlined by the game: survival, self-defense, food, or information. Game theory might suggest how the competition will progress and what will lead to the ideal outcome for all involved, but as Fujiki points out, game theory is nearly useless in their situation. It depends on people making logical and rational decisions after considering all the information available to them. Humans are most certainly not rational creatures, especially when faced with the unknown, consumed by fear, and fighting for their lives.

Most of The Crimson Labyrinth takes place over the course of a few weeks. As events and the game unfold, the novel is seen exclusively from Fujiki’s perspective. For a large part of The Crimson Labyrinth he doesn’t interact much with anyone except Ai. This is a little unfortunate since the utter hell the other teams are going through can only be inferred. But as the novel and the game progress, Ai and Fujiki come across shocking evidence that the other players are having a very hard time of it and that it didn’t take long at all for violence to erupt. The wilderness is filled with its own dangers, but it’s really their fellow humans that they need to be wary of. Terrible things happen in The Crimson Labyrinth. What makes it even worse is the fact that so many of them could have been avoided if only people were able to bring themselves to trust each other and work together. In the end, no one is entirely innocent of the deaths that occur. A quick read, The Crimson Labyrinth is an absorbing novel of horror and survival.

My Week in Manga: September 2-September 8, 2013

September 9, 2013 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

Last week I announced the Blood Lad Giveaway Winner. The post also includes a list of manga licensed in English that feature vampires, too, if you’re looking for something to sink your teeth into. I posted two reviews last week in addition to the giveaway announcement. The honor of the first in-depth manga review for September goes to Shigeru Mizuki’s Kitaro. The manga collects stories from the first three volumes of Mizuki’s yokai classic GeGeGe no Kitaro. I absolutely loved it. I also reviewed Manga: Introduction, Challenges, and Best Practices, edited by Manga Bookshelf’s own MJ and presented by the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. It’s a great resource and recommended for anyone wanting to learn a bit more about manga. The book’s general release is in December, but it is possible to purchase an early copy directly from CBLDF.

Elsewhere online, Vertical’s licensing and reader survey is now open and will close on September 25. It’s a great way to let Vertical know what you’re reading. If you want you can even suggest manga you’d like to see Vertical publish in English. Related to Vertical manga, Matt Cycyk at Matt Talks About Manga has a nice post about Knights of Sidonia and why fans of Attack on Titan might want to check the series out–Attack on Sidonia: Selling Knights of Sidonia to Attack on Titan Fans. And speaking of manga, I was amused to come across the article Attack on Titan’s author causes a stir with his less-than-stellar sketches at RocketNews24. (Amused since I’m used to hearing complaints about the artwork in Attack on Titan and didn’t realize it was something so shocking.)

Quick Takes

Battle Angel Alita: Last Order, Omnibus 1-2 (equivalent to Volumes 1-6) by Yukito Kishiro. Although I have been aware of Battle Angel Alita for quite some time I haven’t read any of the manga until now. Last Order is the original series’ immediate successor, serving as a sort of alternate ending. It’s still ongoing in Japan. The manga is a little difficult to jump into without already having some familiarity with the franchise; I frequently found myself confused why certain characters were important to the story and what their motivations were. But by the time I reached the second omnibus I had started to settle into the series and even began to enjoy myself. I like Last Order best when Kishiro isn’t trying to be too serious with the story and focuses more on the action–cyborg battles, ancient Martian martial arts, space karate, and so on. Alita is an appealing lead, but at the moment I think I like the more erratic and unruly supporting character Sechs even better.

Chi’s Sweet Home, Volume 10 by Konami Kanata. I can always count on Chi’s Sweet Home to bring a smile to my face. Kanata’s color work is lovely and Chi is adorable. I grew up around a lot of cats and continue to be surrounded by them, so I can particularly appreciate Chi’s antics. And with the tenth volume of Chi’s Sweet Home, there are even more kittens romping around–Cocchi and Chi have befriended a pair of sibling kittens. Kanata captures the attitudes and behavior of cats perfectly. Chi has finally come to the realization that she’s a not a human, but she still has a far way to go before mastering all the skills expected of a feline. In many ways Chi’s Sweet Home is very episodic, but there’s also the underlying story of Chi being separated from her original family. By the end of the tenth volume it looks as though she may be getting closer to finding her mother. (She’s easily distracted, though.) Generally the series is funny and sweet, but there’s a bit of sadness and drama, too.

Diary of Sangchul by Hajin Yoo. Two side stories from Yoo’s Totally Captivated boys’ love manhwa were released in English. One of those is Diary of Sangchul, which is a prequel to the main series. It’s not absolutely necessary to have read Totally Captivated in order to enjoy Diary of Sangchul, but the manhwa will probably appeal most to those who have. The majority of the volume is devoted Sangchul’s story through which is shown Mookyul’s rise to power and how he earns the respect of the men who work under him. Dairy of Sangchul also reveals more about Mookyul’s relationship with the Chairman (who looks a lot younger here than he does in the original series.) Diary of Sangchul dovetails quite nicely with Totally Captivated. There is also a short manhwa about Mookyul and the Chairman’s first meeting included in the volume. In the epilogue Yoo goes on to outline the rest of their story. I’m not sure if she ever drew it, but I’m okay if she didn’t–it’s extraordinarily melodramatic.

Helter Skelter: Fashion Unfriendly by Kyoko Okazaki. I’m always happy to see more josei released in English, but I was especially excited for Okazaki’s debut. Okazaki is a particularly influential josei artist. (The marvelous Moyoco Anno even once worked as her assistant.) The award-winning Helter Skelter is a harsh and brutal tale about the darker side of the entertainment industry. Thanks to drastic and repeated plastic surgery, Liliko is enjoying the height of her career as a celebrity but the operations can only take her so far. As her body begins to deteriorate her life begins to spin out of control. Her obsessions and society’s unrealistic expectations drive her to extremes; in the end she isn’t the only one ruined. Helter Skelther is an startling work. Even though the characters are often unlikeable, the manga is extremely engaging; it’s hard to look away from their unraveling. Helter Skelter works simply as fiction, but it can also be read as a deeper criticism of celebrity culture.

Pick of the Week: Something for Everyone

September 9, 2013 by Michelle Smith, Ash Brown, Sean Gaffney, MJ and Anna N Leave a Comment

MICHELLE: Even though I’m not completely sold on the idea of packaging the Sailor Moon Sailor Moon Short Stories separately, I am nonetheless going to appoint the first volume of them as my pick for this week, since it’s my penultimate chance to mention Sailor Moon in this column. I can’t believe the series is really nearly complete in English; it seemed to happen so fast!

ASH: Another series that is slowly nearing the end of its release in English is Hiroaki Samura’s long-running Blade of the Immortal. It’s a personal favorite of mine, so I’d be a bad fan if I didn’t choose it as my pick of the week. The Man of Tango is also very tempting, though…

SEAN: Normally I would be all over Sailor Moon as well. However, this volume of Hayate the Combat Butler, as well as the two that follow it, are a peak that I’m not sure the series has ever quite reached again. It’s especially a rewarding volume for Hinagiku fans, at least until the final page. For fans of romantic harem comedy, this is still one of the funnier ones. At least till 2014, when we’ll see the two action-oriented thriller volumes.

MJ: I’m going to pick up where Ash left off and give my vote to Tetuzoh Okadaya’s The Man of Tango. BL one-shots are not often for me, but based on everything I’ve read about this book, even down to the cover design, I’m going to guess that this one will be. It’s definitely one I’m willing to take a chance on. So there you have it!

ANNA: I’ll have to go with the sixth volume of 07-Ghost. There are many great manga shipping this week, but I’ll likely read that manga first. The mystical fighting priests reel me in every time!

What looks good to you this week?

Manga: Introduction, Challenges, and Best Practices

September 8, 2013 by Ash Brown

Editor: MJ
Publisher: Dark Horse
ISBN: 9781616552787
Released: December 2013

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF) is an organization based in the United States devoted to the protection of the freedoms to read, create, and provide access to comics. Manga: Introduction, Challenges, and Best Practices is a part of its education initiative funded by the Gaiman Foundation and was published by Dark Horse in 2013. Manga was edited by MJ and includes contributions from Katherine Dacey, Shaenon Garrity, Sean Gaffney, Ed Chavez, Erica Friedman, and Robin Brenner. It’s an excellent lineup of manga critics, scholars, and those who have worked in the manga industry in both Japan and North America. Being familiar with their work, in addition to being a card-carrying member of the CBLDF, I was very excited when I learned about the upcoming release of Manga. And because I also happen to be a librarian, I was able to snag an early copy of the guide.

Manga consists of nine chapters and a list of recommended resources. The first chapter, “What Is Manga?” provides a brief history of manga both in Japan and in the West, distinguishes manga from comparable comics traditions such as manhua, manhwa, OEL manga and other manga-influenced comics, and provides suggested resources for further reading. The following chapters survey the four major demographics of manga–shōnen, shōjo, seinen, and josei–as well as two additional categories–yuri and boys’ love. These chapters cover history, commonly found genres, special issues, and (except for the chapter devoted to yuri) notable artists. Another chapter, “Untranslated and Fan Translated,” addresses dōjinshi and scanlations. The final and longest chapter, “Challenges,” focuses on the collection and defense of manga by libraries and summarizes a few major North American court cases dealing with manga.

As is always the danger when writing about popular culture, some of the information in Manga–specifically some of the references to what has or hasn’t been licensed in English–is already out of date. That doesn’t make Manga any less valuable as a resource, though. It is, however, something to keep in mind while reading the guide. Manga is a fantastic introduction to and overview of manga and manga history, especially as it applies to the North American market. The book seems to be particularly geared towards libraries and schools which may be developing or maintaining a manga collection, but Manga should also be interesting and useful to already established fans of manga as a whole as well to as people who are unfamiliar with the form but who would like to learn more about it. Manga packs a lot of information into a slim volume but remains very accessible throughout.

The only thing missing that may have made Manga even more useful for the uninitiated would be a glossary of terms. More information about the contributors themselves would have also been beneficial. I knew who they were but someone less familiar with the subject area wouldn’t necessarily recognize them. Overall, Manga is short and to the point and is an excellent resource. The guide eases readers into the subject and avoids overwhelming them with too much information. There were a couple of generalizations that gave me pause and may have been overly broad, but Manga is meant as an introduction and so shouldn’t (and doesn’t) get bogged down in technicalities and exceptions. Manga is consistently accurate and informative for the audience it’s intended. The book may not be incredibly in-depth, but it is a great place to start learning about manga, its history, and its challenges. Manga is very easy to recommend not only to library professionals, but to general manga enthusiasts as well.

Disclosure: Experiments in Manga is a member blog of Manga Bookshelf; many of those who worked on Manga are also associated with Manga Bookshelf.

Kitaro

September 6, 2013 by Ash Brown

Creator: Shigeru Mizuki
U.S. publisher: Drawn & Quarterly
ISBN: 9781770461109
Released: August 2013
Original release: 1967-1969

Over the last few years I have become increasingly interested in yokai–Japan’s supernatural beings and monsters of myth and legend. When it comes to yokai manga the most influential creator in Japan is Shigeru Mizuki. His most famous series GeGeGe no Kitaro is considered a classic and continues to inspire others. I was absolutely thrilled when Drawn & Quarterly announced that GeGeGe no Kitaro had been licensed in English. Kitaro, released in 2013, collects stories from the first few volumes of Mizuki’s GeGeGe no Kitaro published in Japan between 1967 and 1969. Also included in Drawn & Quarterly’s Kitaro is an excellent introduction by Matt Alt (one of the co-authors of Yokai Attack!) and a yokai glossary by Zach Davisson, both of which are particularly useful for readers who aren’t familiar with Kitaro or yokai, but which should also be interesting for those who are more knowledgeable.

“It is said that when the crow caws thrice, and the frog responds twice, the appearance of Kitaro is imminent.” Kitaro of the Graveyard, a one-eyed yokai in the form of a young boy whose ways are mysterious and who wields great spirit powers. Generally a friendly sort of fellow, Kitaro helps protect people from more malicious yokai although unscrupulous humans might find themselves on the losing end of an encounter with him as well. Sometimes working alone and sometimes enlisting the help of other yokai, Kitaro’s adventures take him all over Japan, everywhere from its most densely populated cities to its most remote islands and beyond. It is part of Kitaro’s mission to defeat evil yokai. The spirits and monsters that he faces will take all of the esoteric knowledge and supernatural skills he has to vanquish them, not to mention a little luck.

The stories in Kitaro tend to be episodic and vary in length–most are around fifteen pages while the longest could easily be collected as their own graphic novels. Although the stories aren’t directly related, many share recurring characters. The most notable are Kitaro himself, his father Medama Oyaji–an eyeball with a body who resides in Kitaro’s empty eye socket and enjoys a good teacup bath–and Nezumi Otoko–a half-human, half-yokai troublemaker and sometimes friend. Mizuki was inspired by more than just Japanese folklore when creating Kitaro. In addition to traditional yokai and his own imagination, popular culture and more modern kaiju were also important influences. Even monsters from Western literature, film, and mythology make an appearance. As a result, Kitaro is a lively amalgamation of sources.

I found Kitaro to be utterly delightful. Although it is a horror manga dealing with powerful supernatural creatures and featuring some legitimately creepy scenarios, Kitaro is also very funny and even cheerful in tone. Kitaro does seem to gain abilities as is convenient to the story, but it is still amusing to see how he manages to get out of precarious situations. It can be a bit silly at times, and on occasion deceptively simple and straightforward, but Kitaro is also a great deal of fun. Because of its episodic nature there isn’t much plot or character development, but Mizuki’s creations are still memorable. I particularly appreciate all of the different traditions he draws from to create a tale that is distinctly his own. I loved Kitaro and enjoyed the volume immensely. I sincerely hope that Drawn & Quarterly will be able to release more of the series.

Manga the Week of 9/11

September 5, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, Ash Brown, Michelle Smith, Anna N and MJ 3 Comments

SEAN: Manga is here, let’s to’t.

Dark Horse has the 27th volume of Blade of the Immortal, one of Dark Horse’s long-running prestige manga titles. It’s still badass.

ASH: That it is! Blade of the Immortal was one of the first manga series that I started reading and I’m still hooked on it.

MICHELLE: I read the first volume and was really impressed by the art, and I own a bunch more of it, but I’ve still never continued. The same thing happened with Vagabond too, actually.

ANNA: I read the first three volumes or so and really liked it. If I ever stumble across a library with a good chunk of this series, I would check it out again. Vagabond as always has my eternal devotion, I think I might be behind with one or two of the VizBig editions.

MJ: I wish I’d gotten hooked early on. At this point the length feels so daunting! Yet I feel I’d probably love it.

SEAN: They also have the 4th volume of OreImo. No spoilers in the comments, bitter fans of the anime. (I wonder if OreImo will pull a School Rumble in terms of sales now that the ending is out in Japan?)

DMP have a BL title coming out called Priceless Honey. Seems to be a short story collection from the author of Punch Up!.

MJ: I’m not big on BL anthologies, but I did like Punch Up!…

SEAN: Kodansha have the 2nd to last Arisa, which I got very, very behind on. Luckily, it’s out digitally now, so I can try to catch up!

ASH: I’m a bit behind on Arisa as well, but it had a great start and I’ve been meaning to read more of it.

MICHELLE: I’ve read through volume ten. It’s become rather snickerworthy, as I noted in brief back in June, but I’m still planning to see it through to the end.

ANNA: I haven’t read this, for some reason Kodansha’s current shoujo releases don’t appeal to me very much, but I’m looking forward to some of the new series they’ve recently announced!

Not out digitally (here or in Japan) but certainly out in print is the first collection of Sailor Moon Short Stories. These ran in Nakayoshi’s sister magazines throughout the run of the manga, and originally were interspersed through the original volumes. The re-release collected them all at the end. This first of two volumes collects the Chibi-Usa side stories, and the Exam Battles starring the other Inners. It also has my 2nd favorite Sailor Moon manga moment.

MICHELLE: I’m not sure how wise it was to put the short stories in their own collection. True, this way they don’t interrupt the main flow of the narrative, but when I read the Japanese edition this way I was sort of… underwhelmed. Maybe they’ll fare better in English.

ANNA: One of these days I will marathon Sailor Moon, I feel like I should block out a day and stock up on Sailor Moon reading supplies. I’m envisioning a lot of sweet milky tea and many star-shaped cookies.

SEAN: I’ve come to love His Favorite without ever reading it, just for the look of disgust on the face of the uke on every single cover. It’s an absolute delight, and I hope he’s just as grouchy in the manga itself. Vol. 5 is out this week.

MJ: I’m a volume behind on this now, but the manga really is as delightful as its covers, in my experience. And that character is pretty grouchy. It could sort of read as an AU xxxHolic fanfic, if that gives you some sense of what you’re in for.

SEAN: Also out from SubLime is The Man of Tango, which sounds like it should star Robert Vaughn and David McCallum. The cover art for this is easily the best design SubLime’s ever done (their cover design has been a very weak point to date), and really looks smokingly passionate. This apparently has previously unpublished content as well.

ASH: I’m very excited about the release of The Man of Tango! Originally licensed by Aurora but never released, I was thrilled to see SuBLime pick it up.

ANNA: I don’t read a ton of yaoi, but this was one manga that I actually pre-ordered when Aurora was supposed to release it. Glad this is coming out finally, I found the title and cover of this manga very intriguing.

MJ: I’m looking forward to this as well!

SEAN: Udon still puts out manga, and not just artbooks. Today, it’s Disgaea 3: School of Devils 2. Next week, Arsenal 4, Tottenham nil.

And a trio from Viz. 07-GHOST just ended in Japan last month, but fear not, there’s still a lot to go before we catch up. Here’s Vol. 6.

MICHELLE: It seems like volumes of this series are appearing like bunnies! Soon we’ll be caught up with Go!Comi, if we’re not already!

ANNA: ACK, I’m three volumes behind now! I do like this series, though.

MJ: I am too, yikes!

SEAN: Arata: The Legend is about a year and a half behind Japan, which is not uncommon for a Shonen Sunday mid-list title, even if it is by Yuu Watase. Here’s Vol. 15.

MICHELLE: I do enjoy Arata, even if I can’t get as squeeful about it as, say, Genbu Kaiden.

ANNA: Genbu Kaiden deserves all the squees!

MJ: Agreed, re: Genbu Kaiden. I’m iffy on Arata.

SEAN: And Vol. 22 of Hayate the Combat Butler, which is 3 1/2 years behind Japan and growing farther away every biannual release, but sadly, sales. The manga is still in Greece, and this volume has what may be one of the best romantic heartbreakers of the entire series to date.

Anything strike your fancy?

Manga Giveaway: Blood Lad Giveaway Winner

September 4, 2013 by Ash Brown

Blood Lad, Omnibus 1 And the winner of the Blood Lad Giveaway is…Olivia!

As the winner, Olivia will be receiving a new copy of the first volume of Yuuki Kodama’s Blood Lad as published by Yen Press. For this giveaway, I was interested in learning about people’s favorite vampires from manga. Be sure to check out the Blood Lad Giveaway comments for all of the details. There was a great turn out and a great variety in the responses–everyone from Hellsing‘s Alucard and Seras to the half vampire/half were-koala Paifu from Cowa! were mentioned.

And now, here is a select list of manga featuring vampires of different sorts that have been licensed in English at one time or another:

Blood Alone by Masayuki Takano
Blood Lad by Yuuki Kodama
Blood Honey by Sakyou Yozakura
Blood Sucker: Legend of Zipangu written by Saki Okuse, illustrated by Aki Shimizu
Blood+ by Asuka Katsura
Blood-C by Ranmaru Kotone
Bloody Kiss by Kazuko Furumiya
Canon by Chika Shiomi
Chibi Vampire by Yuna Kagesaki
Cirque du Freak by Takahiro Arai
Cowa! by Akira Toriyama
Crescent Moon by Haruko Iida
Crimson Cross written by Sakae Maeda, illustrated by Kyoko Negishi
Dance in the Vampire Bund by Nozomu Tamaki
Devil by Torajiro Kishi
Gantz by Hiroya Oku
Hellsing by Kouta Hirano
Hipira written Katsuhiro Otomo, illustrated by Shinji Kimura
How to Seduce a Vampire by Nimosaku Shimada
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure by Hirohiko Araki
Lament of the Lamb by Kei Toume
Midnight Secretary by Tomu Ohmi
Millennium Snow by Bisco Hatori
Pathos by Mika Sadahiro
The Record of a Fallen Vampire written by Kyou Shirodaira, illustrated by Yuri Kimura
Rosario + Vampire by Akihisa Ikeda
Trinity Blood by Kiyo Kyujyo
Until the Full Moon by Sanami Matoh
Vampire Game by Judal
Vampire Hunter D by Saiko Takaki
Vampire Knight by Matsuri Hino
Vampire Princess Miyu by Narumi Kakinouchi and Toshiki Hirano
Vampire’s Portrait by Hiroki Kusumoto
Vassalord by Nanae Chrono

The above list is by no means comprehensive. Vampires are very popular and make frequent appearances in manga; the list could have gone on for quite a while. But, if you’re looking for some vampire manga to read, it’s probably a pretty decent place to start. Thank you to everyone who shared their favorite manga vampires with me. I hope to see you again for the next giveaway!

Pick of the Week: Too Many Books

September 2, 2013 by Sean Gaffney, MJ, Ash Brown, Michelle Smith and Anna N Leave a Comment

SEAN: My pick of the week is the third and final Young Miss Holmes omnibus from Seven Seas. I remain impressed at its ability to shoehorn a precocious 10-year-old girl and her killer maids into the Holmes canon, and there’s a minimum of fanservice given that it runs in a Media Factory title. This third volume introduces some original stories not based on the Holmes canon, including its finale, the Giant Rat of Sumatra, which Watson always felt the world was not yet ready for. Kudos to Seven Seas for this title.

MJ: I’ve been procrastinating on this, because I was honestly torn about what to choose, though in retrospect, it seems so simple. This week offers up new volumes of a couple of my favorite addictive shoujo series, Strobe Edge and Demon Love Spell, as well as the (potentially addictive) supernatural romance Midnight Secretary. But they’re all standing up against the latest volume of one of my favorite continuing series of 2012, Takako Shimura’s Wandering Son, and there aren’t many series that would stand a chance against that. So I’m going for volume five of Wandering Son. It’s this week’s must-buy, at least for me.

ASH: As much as I love Baku Yumemakura and Jiro Taniguchi’s The Summit of the Gods there is absolutely no question as to my pick of the week: the fifth volume of Takako Shimura’s Wandering Son. The series is incredibly important to me on a very personal level in addition to simply being a great manga. It’s a wonderful story about personal identity and growing up. I’m absolutely thrilled that Fantagraphics is bringing Wandering Son to English-reading audiences and the series is receiving a beautiful hardcover release.

MICHELLE: Seeing as how Wandering Son has safely earned its place, I’m going to go for volume six of Io Sakisaka’s Strobe Edge. Of volume five, I wrote, “This is what good shoujo drama is like when you don’t have to result to tired old clichés… It actually reminds me a little of We Were There, which is high praise indeed.” I’m certainly looking forward to volume six!

ANNA: My pick is Midnight Secretary. This paranormal romance set in the business world sets up an intriguing relationship with an interesting heroine in the first volume, with some touches of both humor and angst. I’m already feeling impatient looking forward to the next volume.

What looks good to you this week?

My Week in Manga: August 26-September 1, 2013

September 2, 2013 by Ash Brown

My News and Reviews

I only posted one review last week, but that wasn’t the only thing going on at Experiments in Manga. The review was for Yoshikazu Yasuhiko’s Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, Volume 2: Garma. The third volume is scheduled to be released later this month and I realized that I hadn’t reviewed the second one yet. If you enjoy science fiction manga the series is definitely worth checking out, even if you’re not a Gundam fan. What else was going on at Experiments in Manga? I posted August’s Bookshelf Overload for those interested in the absurd amounts of manga I manage to collect. My most recent manga giveaway is currently in progress as well; there’s still time to enter for a chance to win the first Blood Lad omnibus. Since Experiments in Manga is now part of the Manga Bookshelf team, I’ve also started to participate in some of the group features: Pick of the Week and Manga the Week of.

Elsewhere online, Dan Kanemitsu wrote an opinion piece for CBLDF about the recent ban of Keiji Nakazawa’s Barefoot Gen manga in Japan–The Inconvenience of Barefoot Gen. Happily, the ban has since been lifted. (In the past I reviewed both the first volume of Barefoot Gen and Nakazawa’s autobiography for the Barefoot Gen Manga Moveable Feast.) Sean Kleefeld at Kleefeld on Comics has put together some pie charts based on Alex Woolfson’s survey of the readers of his Young Protectors comic–Who Reads Yaoi Webcomics?. I found the results and demographics to be very interesting. Finally, Ng Suat Tong posted Island of Sex, Panorama of Empire at The Hooded Utilitarian, an in-depth analysis of Suehiro’s Maruo’s The Strange Tale of Panorama Island manga and Edogawa Rampo’s original novella. (In the past, I reviewed the manga and the novella separately.)

Quick Takes

Blue Is the Warmest Color by Julie Maroh. Originally published in French in 2010, Blue Is the Warmest Color has only recently been released in English. The graphic novel has won several awards as has its film adaptation. It’s a beautiful comic and a beautiful love story. Maroh’s artwork is wonderful. I particularly liked her use of color; much of the graphic novel is illustrated with muted tones with blue as an accent color.Clementine is in high school when she completely falls for Emma. She must come to terms with her identity and sexuality–something that is at first difficult for her to fully embrace and something even more difficult for many of her friends and her family to accept. Although the ultimate ending of Clementine and Emma’s story is known from the very beginning of Blue Is the Warmest Color, Clementine’s death still seems to come rather suddenly. Blue Is the Warmest Color is tragic and bittersweet, but it is also a lyrical exploration of love and desire.

Bunny Drop, Volumes 7-9 by Yumi Unita. Parts of Bunny Drop were spoiled for me early on but I wanted to see how things played out and how Unita handled it all. These volumes actually do a great job showing Rin’s developing relationship with her mother as well as her struggle with her feelings for Daikichi and his response to them. But then along comes a huge plot reveal in the fifty-fourth chapter that attempts to smooth everything over and make it okay. (Honestly, I was kind of pissed off about it.) It’s as though Unita was trying to find an easy way out after backing herself into a corner. Unfortunately it doesn’t really work, contradicts earlier parts of the story, and even negates previous character developments. In part due to poor planning, the twist is neither satisfying nor believable. Perhaps if Unita had taken the time to show the intervening two years and how Daikichi’s feelings evolved it would have been more convincing. Even though I found the ending of Bunny Drop to be disappointing, I still plan on picking up the final volume of short stories.

Sankarea: Undying Love, Volume 2 by Mitsuru Hattori. I’m a little surprised by how much I’m liking Sankarea. At least I can say that I enjoyed the second volume more than the first. I even chuckled out loud a few times while reading it. I hope the series continues to improve. At this point Sankarea is definitely more of a romantic comedy than it is a horror story. The horror elements are still there though, as are the nods to zombies in popular culture. But it’s Rea’s father who remains the creepiest part of the series. In one delightful scene, Chihiro even calls him out on it directly to his face. And even though Sankarea is a comedy, I’m glad to see that Danichiro’s disturbingly unhealthy relationship and obsession with his daughter isn’t seen as funny. On the other hand, Rea’s relationship with Chihiro–as weird as it is and as weird as they both are as individuals–is almost charming. Sankarea is kind of a strange series, but then so are hydrangea zombies.

Wolfsmund, Volume 1 by Mitsuhisa Kuji. Very few historical manga with a European setting have been licensed in English, and so I was intrigued by Vertical’s acquisition of Wolfsmund. I was even more interested when I learned that Kuji was once an assistant for both Kentaro Miura and Kaoru Mori, whose work I love. (I particularly noticed Mori’s influence in how Kuji draws many of the character’s eyes in Wolfsmund.) Wolfsmund takes place in 14th-century Switzerland and is a retelling of sorts of the legend of William Tell. So far the story has focused on those attempting to illicitly cross through the Sankt Gotthard Pass, generally unsuccessfully but not without putting up a fight. While Wolfsmund isn’t overly graphic–most of the gorier moments are implied rather than actually seen–it is a violent and brutal manga. Very dark and very intriguing, I’m looking forward to the next volume of Wolfsmund a great deal.

Bookshelf Overload: August 2013

September 1, 2013 by Ash Brown

Quite a few interesting things made their way onto my bookshelves over the last month. In particular, I had a bit of luck when it came to out-of-print manga in August. I was able to find nice, relatively cheap copies of Sake Jock, a collection of underground Japanese comics published by Fantagraphics in 1995, and Manga, another manga sampler released sometime in the early 1980s. (I first learned about Manga when Jason Thompson covered it as part of his House of 1000 Manga column.) As for preorders that I’m especially happy to have in my hands, Shigeru Mizuki’s Kitaro and Kyoko Okazaki’s Helter Skelter: Fashion Unfriendly were both released in August. I’m also thrilled that SuBLime’s license rescue of Youka Nitta’s Embracing Love has begun. (It’s one of my favorite yaoi series and it will finally be released in its entirety in English!) And speaking of yaoi: Guilt|Pleasure has released One of These Nights, the third prequel to its series In These Words. If you find In These Words too dark but love Jo Chen’s artwork (which is fantastic), do give the prequels a try; they have a different, lighter tone. Another book that I’m particularly excited about is Manga: Introduction, Challenges, and Best Practices, edited by MJ and presented by the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. The guide’s general release will actually be in December, but you can pick up an early copy from CBLDF at various conventions or from its website. Manga is a great resource; look for a review of it here soon!

Manga!
Attack on Titan, Volume 6 by Hajime Isayama
Battle Angel Alita: Last Order, Omnibus 1-2 by Yukito Kishiro
Blue Morning, Volumes 1-2 by Shouko Hidaka
Bunny Drop, Volume 9 by Yumi Unita
Dorohedoro, Volume 10 by Q Hayashida
Embracing Love, Omnibus 1 by Youka Nitta
Eyeshield 21, Volumes 24-25, 35-37 written by Riichiro Inagaki, illustrated by Yusuke Murata
Fairy Tail, Volume 29 by Hiro Mashima
Helter Skelter: Fashion Unfriendly by Kyoko Okazaki
How Good Was I? by Yamatogawa
Kitaro by Shigeru Mizuki
Knights of Sidonia, Volume 4 by Tsutomu Nihei
Library Wars: Love & War, Volume 10 by Kiiro Yumi
Manga edited by Masaichi Mukaide
Nana, Volume 21 by Ai Yazawa
No. 6, Volume 2 by Hinoki Kino
Otomen, Volume 16 by Aya Kanno
Ring X Mama, Volume 1 by Joji Manabe
Sake Jock edited by Adam Glickman
Sankarea: Undying Love, Volume 2 by Mitsuru Hattori
Tough Love Baby by Shiuko Kano
X, Omnibus 6 by CLAMP

Comics!
Blue Is the Warmest Color by Julie Maroh
One of These Nights by Guilt|Pleasure
Strangers in Paradise Omnibus by Terry Moore
Smut Peddler by Various

Light Novels!
Fullmetal Alchemist, Volumes 2-3 by Makoto Inoue

Novels!
Mobile Suit Gundam: Awakening, Escalation, Confrontation by Yoshiyuki Tomino

Anthologies!
The Melancholy of Mechagirl: Stories and Poems by Catherynne M. Valente

Nonfiction!
Manga: Introduction, Challenges, and Best Practices edited by MJ

Anime!
Berserk: The Golden Age, Arc II: The Battle for Doldrey directed by Toshiyuki Kubooka
Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine directed by Sayo Yamamoto
This Boy Caught a Merman directed by Soubi Yamamoto
Tsuritama directed by Kenji Nakamura

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, Vol. 2: Garma

August 30, 2013 by Ash Brown

Creator: Yoshikazu Yasuhiko
Original story: Yoshiyuki Tomino and Hajime Yatate
U.S. publisher: Vertical
ISBN: 9781935654889
Released: June 2013
Original release: 2006

Though I wouldn’t consider myself to be a fan of or even particularly knowledgeable about the massive Gundam franchise, at this point I would consider myself to be a fan of Yoshikazu Yasuhiko’s manga series Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin. The manga is a retelling of the original 1979 Mobile Suit Gundam anime series from one of the artists who was heavily involved in its creation and visual design. Garma is the second volume in the collector’s edition of Yasuhiko’s The Origin manga, originally released in Japan in 2006. The English-language edition of the volume, published by Vertical in 2013, is a beautiful, high-quality release. This particular volume includes a small illustration gallery of Yasuhiko’s color work as well as a roundtable and special illustration from CLAMP. I was quite impressed with Activation, the first volume of The Origin, so I was looking forward to reading Garma a great deal.

After an eight-month armistice, the forces of the Earth Federation and the Principality of Zeon have once again come into conflict. The Federation’s colony Side 7 was attacked and destroyed when Zeon discovered the Federation military was secretly developing a highly advanced mobile suit there. White Base, the supply ship carrying the new weapon as well as hundreds of refugees from the colony, has reached Earth but Zeon’s pursuit has pushed it far off course. Trapped behind enemy lines and commanded by a young and inexperienced crew, White Base may have survived the initial confrontation with Zeon but the threat is far from over. The Zeon forces are determined to prevent White Base from breaking through to Jaburo; if they can’t capture the new technology, they are more than happy to destroy it. In particular, Colonel Garma Zabi, leader of the Zeon’s North American forces and the youngest son of its reigning family, is interested in the recognition, prestige, and military honor that successfully accomplishing such a feat would bring.

While in Activation the fighting primarily took place in space, the battles and skirmishes in Garma are surface based, occurring on Earth’s land, in its air, and even within a demolished urban center. Both Yasuhiko and the characters must make adjustments because of this. They must take into consideration and use the terrain and topography as part of their strategy. The battles in Garma literally, figuratively, and visually have weight. Even during the aerial maneuvers, Yasuhiko is constantly aware of the forces and gravity in play. The way he draws the battles makes them feel very different from those in Activation and they should be different–tactics and equipment change depending on the environment. Fighting on a planet is very different from fighting in space and he captures that remarkably well. The battles in Garma are engaging. Yasuhiko’s excellent pacing and layout combined with his color work result in some exceptionally stunning, cinematic sequences.

While the military aspect of The Origin is certainly important, perhaps even more important are the more personal human dramas of the story. As can be inferred by the volume’s title, Garma plays a particularly critical role at this point in the manga. Introduced at the very end of Activation, Yasuhiko quickly reveals Garma to be an arrogant and privileged young man. His relationship and association with Char, one of Zeon’s most formidable and calculating commanders, is crucial to the development of the story. Perhaps Garma’s complete opposite is Amuro Ray, the young pilot of the Federation’s new Gundam mobile suit. Drawn into war more by chance than by choice, at the age of fifteen he’s already seen more of battle than he ever wanted. He’s understandably terrified and struggling with the grave responsibility that has been thrust upon him. I’m very interested in seeing how the two sides of the conflict react to the events in Garma because they will have some major consequences.